Quick acting incinerator sanitary closet



Sept. 15, 1959 E. B. BLANKENSHIP ETAL 2,903,709

QUICK ACTING INCINERATOR SANITARY cLosET Filed sept. 17, 1957 RA YMOND E. GORE E E. BA YNE BLANK E NSH/P United States Patent Oice 2,903,709r Patented Sept. 15, 1959 QUICK ACTING INCINERATOR SANITARY CLOSET Ernest Bayne Blankenship, Irving, and Raymond E. Goree, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application September 1.7, 1957, Serial No. 684,828 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-131) This invention relates to sanitary closets and has reference to an incinerator type closet for burning waste where sewer connections are not readily available, such as in aircraft, auto trailers and camps.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism in an incinerator type closet and which mechanism is capable of dispersing solid waste material and whereby the same may be quick-ly consumed by heat from the incinerator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gas type incinerator for the described purpose, the parts of which are arranged to increase the eiciency of the incinerator llame.

A further object is to provide a waterless sanitary closet wherein the liquids are separated from the solids, together with an arrangement whereby the liquids may be evaporated without operating the mechanism for dispersing the solids.

Particularly, the invention is directed to a spreading mechanism having two or more grates, at leastone of which is movable for dispersing solid waste material for rapid consumption by an incinerator.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of an incinerator type closet embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a reduced elevation, partially shown in section, illustrating an actuating means for operating the device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred grate arrangement.

The form of the invention shown includes a case of sheet metal having sides 11, a bottom 12 and a top 13. There is an opening 14 in the case top 13 around which a seat 15 is provided, together with a hinged lid 16 therefor. Beneath the opening 14 there is a bowl 17 in the form of an inverted cone, and which bowl is divided into front and rear sections 18 and 19 along its vertical transverse center. The bowl sections 18 and 19 are hingedly secured to the case top 13 by means of transverse rods 20 and 21, the extending ends of which are journaled in the case walls 11. A relatively small opening 22 is provided in the lower end of the bowl 17, and a conical liner 23 is provided in the bowl. Like the bowl 17, the liner 23 is provided with a small opening 24 in the lower end thereof and which opening coincides with the first referred to opening 22.

In the lower portion of the case 10 there is an insulated incinerator housing 25 including side walls 26, a bottom 27 and a top 28. There is an opening 29 beneath the bowl 17, and which opening is provided with horizontal sliding doors 30 and 31. As shown in Figure l, the forward door 30 is narrower than the rear door 31 so that the forward edge of the latter extends forwardly of the opening 22 in the bowl 17. Immediately beneath the last referred to opening 22 there is a diagonal drainage hole 31a in the rear door 31, the lower end of which is above the forward portion of an evaporator pan 32 supported'on transverse rods 33 extending to and secured to the sides 26 of the incinerator housing 25. In the bottom of the incinerator 25 and slidably supported on the incinerator bottom 27 there is a removable ash pan 34 having an extending rod 35 on the forward end thereof. The rod 35 is provided with a handle 36 and a closure plate 37 for closing an opening 38 in the case 11.

A gas burner 39 projects inwardly through the rear wall 26 of the incinerator housing and through the case wall 11 therearound, the jet end 40 of which is positioned between the evaporator pan 32 and ash pan 34. A jet flame is directed to the forward incinerator Wall 26 which has an arcuate shoulder 41 above the initial horizontal path of the jet flame for diverting the latter and directing it, over the evaporator pan 32, to a vent 42 in the case wall 11 and the incinerator housing wall 26. As will become apparent in the description of operation, the reversed direction of the flame increases the ethciency of the present invention. Not shown, the vent 42 may include a blower fan, but the same will operate with some satisfaction without a forced draft.

A feature of the invention has to do with a grate arrangement for spreading or dispersing solid waste material for quick incineration. The exemplary form of the invention shown includes a stationary yhorizontal grate 43 supported by the incinerator housing wall 26 and a pivoted grate 44 thereabove. The stationary grate 43 is positioned beneath the opening 29 in the top 28 of the incinerator housing 25. The last referred to grate 43 is comprised of transverse forward and rear supporting rods 45 and parallel grate rods 47 connected therebetween. T-he movable grate 44 includes a shaft rod 48, one end of which extends outwardly of the case wall 11 where it is provided with a pinion 49. Like the stationary grate 43, the pivoted grate 44 includes a forward transverse rod 50 and parallel rods 51 between the latter and the shaft 48. Preferably, the rods 47 and 51 of the respective grates 43 and 44 are spaced close together and for practical purposes, for example, this distance may be 1/i inch.

The movable grate 44 is actuated by means of a foot pedal 52 on the extending `end of a lever 53 having a pivoted end 54 outwardly of the case 10 and located at the rear of the latter. There is a depending arm 55 pivotally secured by a pin 56 to the lever 53, and which aim is provided with a rack 57 for coaction with the pinion 49. Suitable guide means for the arm 55, not shown, may be provided. Forwardly of the arm pivot 56 there is a vertically extending connecting bar 58 secured thereto by another pivot pin 59. The upper end of the bar 58 is provided with depending arms 60, corresponding ends of which are pivotally connected with the upper end of the bar 58 by means of a pin 61. Horizontal slots 62 are provided in the case 11 to accommodate other pins 63 which extend to and are connected with the horizontal doors 30 and 31.

In operation, a liner 23 is placed in the closed bowl 17 and the device is used in a conventional manner. If liquids only are deposited the same drain through the hole 24 in the liner and the hole 22 in the bowl 17, thence fall by gravity through the diagonal opening 31a in the rear horizontal door 31 and to the evaporator pan 32. A pilot light is maintained at the end of the jet 40 at all times and which pilot light causes evaporation of the liquids, the fumes of which go upwardly through the vent 42. After solids are deposited in the liner 23, the foot pedal 52 is moved downwardly, causing the forward and rear portions 18 and 19 of the bowl 17 to open and at the same time causes the doors 30 and 31 to open, and the pivoted grate 44 to open, thus allowing the liner 23 to fall on the lower grate 43. Upon removing the foot from the pedal 52 a spring 63 draws the arms 60 together closing the doors 30 and 31; at the same time the pivoted grate closes against the stationary grate 43, dispersing the solids, in or outside of the `liner 23, thus providing for the rapid burning of the same. A jet flame is then caused, by suitable means, to shoot from the burner, the travel of which is beneath the evaporator pan 32, over the ash pan 34 and against the forward incinerator wall 26. The arcuate shoulder in the latter then directs the llame across the grates 43 and 44 to the vent 42. The duration of the flame may be controlled by a timer, not shown.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may lbe made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sanitary closet comprising a case including a bowl in the top portion thereof, an incinerator housing within the lower portion of said case and having an opening in the upper portion thereof beneath said bowl, a horizontal stationary grate within said Yincinerator housing and spaced from the bottom, said grate being beneath said bowl, a movable grate above said stationary grate and hingedly mounted along one side thereof, said movable grate being positioned to coincide with said stationary grate when said movable grate is in its closed position, means pivotally actuating said movable grate, incinerator means within said incinerator housing beneath said sta- 4 tionary grate, and vent means in one side of said incinerator housing and extending outwardly through said case.

2. A sanitary closet as defined in claim 1, and including an evaporator pan in one side of said incinerator housing and extending substantially to the center thereof, said evaporator pan being positioned beneath said horizontal stationary grate and above said incinerator means.

3. A sanitary closet as `d'elined in claim 2 and including at least one horizontal door over the opening in said incinerator housing vand including an opening 'through said door and above said evaporator pan.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 329,302 Engle Oct. 27, 1885 358,546 Conduit Mar. 1, 1887 462,891 Carrico Nov. 10, 1891 645,495 Scates Mar. 13, 1900 905,501 Conley Dec. 1, 1908 1,052,315 Chikancef Feb. 4, 1913 2,364,286 Furlong Dec. 5, 1944 2,732,564 Potts Jan. 31, 1956 2,748,728 Triggs June 5, 1956 2,771,533 Osberg et al Nov. 20, 1956 

